Automatic grinding-machine



(No Model.) 2 SheetsSheet-1.

' O. PpSPERY.

I AUTOMATIC GRINDING MACHINE.

No .5 88,2 49. Patented Aug. 17, 1897.

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,UN TED STATES PATENT QFFIC -CHARLES F. SPERY, OF DECATUR, ILLINOIS.

AUTOMATIC GRINDING-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 588,249, dated August1'7, 1897. Application filed February I, 1897. Serial No. 621,486- (Nomodel.)

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Be it known that 1, CHARLES F. SPERY, of Decatur, in the county of Maconand State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Grinding-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention is particularly designed for grinding knife-blades,though it is applicable to other articles having convex surfaces.

It is exemplified in the structure hereinafter described, and it is'defined in the appended claims. H V h The invention consists inprovision whereby the extent of convexityof the knife-blades or otherarticles may be accurately and uniformly produced, and such provisionresides in a work-holding wheel having a perimeter conforming to thedesired convexity of the blades, and a grinding-w heel opposed to thework-holding wheel on a shaft parallel with the shaft of suchWork-holding wheel.

The invention further oonsistsin provision for forming the convexsurfaces of the blades accurately and uniformly without danger ofburning or overheating the same and in a manner to permit ready placingof the articles in operative connection with the work-holding wheel, andthis provision resides in a work-holding wheel and a grinding-wheelhaving the peculiarities hereinbefore described and mounted onhorizontal or approximately horizontal shafts.

The invention further consists in details of construction andcombinations of parts, as

hereinafter particularized, whereby the articles are held in position tothe ground.

In the drawings forming part of this speci fication, Figure 1 is a sideelevation of a machine embodying my improvements. Fig. 2 is a plan ofsame. Fig. 3 is a section lengthwise through a clamp-controller, showinga preferred detail of construction thereof.

The drawings illustrate a structure in which Many of the details of thestructure are not essential. Some are old and many are capable ofvariation in form and arrangement, so I will describe the structure asit is, and then by means of the claims distinguish between theessentials and the non-essentials, between the old and the new, andbetween the features that are attrib-- utable to the inventive act andthose that result from the exercise of mechanical skill.

A frame 17-is made of suitable size and strength to meet therequirements of machines of this class, and it is provided withhorizontalguideways for the slide-plate 27. A handwheel 29 is fastenedonto a threaded rod 28, that engages theslide-plate, and by means of thehand-wheel and the threaded rod the slideplate is shifted in theguidewaysformed in frame 17. A shaft 3 is journaled on the slide-plate.One of its ends projects beyond a side 'of the frame and carries agrindingwheel-l, and it has a drive-pulley 26 between its ends. fihaft'eis journaled in bearings mounted on frame 17. It extends parallel withshaft 3. Oneof its ends projects beyond the frame and carries awork-holding wheel 2, and it has aworm-wheel 23 between its ends.A'shaft 18is journaledin bearings attached to an end of frame 17. It hasa drive-pulley 19, and it is 'also provided with a worm 20. (Seen'onlyin Fig. 2.) A shaft -16 extends lengthwise of the machine, and it has onone end a worm-wheel that meshes with worm 20, such worm-wheel beingdesignated by 21, and on the other end is a worm 22, (seen only in Fig.1,) that meshes With worm-wheel 23. Motion is imparted to thegrinding-wheel l-through pulley 26 and shaft 3. llfotion is imparted tothe work-holding wheel through pulley 19, shaft 18, worm 20, Worm-Wheel21, shaft 16, worm 22, wormwheel 23, andshaft 4, all in the order named.The grinding-wheel is made to approach the work more or less closely,and take-up for wear is effected through the slide-plate, the screw, andthe hand-wheel.

The rim of wheel 2 is divided into three portions, two of whichconstitute work-holders and the other of which forms a grindingsurface.Theblade-sustainingsurfacei.e., the surfaceagainst which the blades orother articles rest while being ground-occupies the space between thework-holderportions of the rim. It is designated in Fig. 2 by the character 2. It is preferably divided from the grinding, and which areshaped to conform to the article to be ground, whatever such shape maybe. The central portion of the rim, which I have designated as ablade-sustaining surface, is the same width as the grinding-wheel 1,with which it alines, and consequently the work-holding portions of therim are one on each side of the grinding-wheel. The work-holders consistof transverse recesses in the rim, as shown at 6, which are shaped toreceive a side of a knife-handle or a projecting part of whateverarticle is ground, and clamps that embrace the handle or projecting partand hold the article firmly in proper position. Lugs 5 and 5 extendradially from the periphery of the rim, and they form bearings withwhich swinging clamps 7 and 0 are pivotally connected. The swingingclamps have rollers 8 and 10 in their swinging ends, and their surfacesthat oppose the rim have recesses that coincide with the transverserecesses of the rim.

The clamps are arranged at regular intervals, and they are staggered orso placed that a clamp on one side of the rim is opposite a spacebetween clamps on the other side. This last-named peculiarity enablesthe knives to lie at regular intervals against the face of theblade-sustaining surface, those held by the clamps on one sidealternating with those held by the clamp of the other side, as suggestedin Fig. 2 of the drawings. A pair of clampcontrollers 11 and 11 aremounted on shafts 12 and 14. Their inner surfaces, except at the upperends, describe arcs of circles concentric with the work-holding wheeland of a radius equal to the distance from the center of the wheel tothe outer surface of a roller of a closed clamp, and their upper endsincline upward or away from the wheel. The clamp-controllers preferablyare recessed, as shown in Fig. 3, and supplied in the recess with aplate 24, that conforms to the internal curvature of the controller.Bolts connect the plate with the back of the controller in a mannerpermittinginotion of the plate toward and from the back, and springs 25tend to keep the plate forced inward toward the work-holding wheel. Theplate occupies a position in the controller adjacent to the working faceof the grinding-wheel. It ordinarily projects beyond the inner face ofthe controller, and its function is to impart extraordinary pressure onthe clamps at the time they present the articles they hold to the actionof the grinding-wheel.

The shafts 3 and 4 are horizontal, and consequently the work-holdingwheel and the grinding-wheel are both compelled to rotate vertically inthe respective directions indicated by the arrows.

The diameter of the external surface of the work-holding wheel isproportionate to the degree of conv'exity that it is desired to impartto the articles to be ground-the smaller the wheel the greater theconvexity, and the reverse.

111 case the machine is used for the purpose for which it isparticularly designednan1ely, the grinding of knife-blades--the mode ofoperation is as follows: Knives a are held by their respective handlesbetween clamps 7 and the rim of the wheel 2, and their blades rest inrecesses in the periphery 2 with their backs presented forward or in thedirection of the motion of the wheel. In a similar manner knives b areheld by the opposite set of clamps, and they occupy positions betweenknives a in regular alternation. This arrangement brings the sharpenedend of one knife on one side of the grinding-surface of the work-holdingwheel, the sharpened end of the next blade on the opposite side, and soon indefinitely. As the work-holding wheel moves forward the rollers ofthe clamps successively engage the controller-bars ll and 11 and arethereby prevented from releasing the handles of the knives, and by thetime the knife held by any particular clamp is presented to the actionof the grinding-wheel the yielding plate 2t is pressing the clamp withincreased force against the handle. As the blade passes into and out ofcontact with the grinding-wheel it is ground to the required degree ofconvexity, and the sharpened end is ground thinner than the handle endand further travel carries the clamp clear of the restraint of thecontroller-bar and permits the clamp to swing downward and release theknife. The knife next following is treated in precisely the same manner,except for the rather important distinction that its sharpened end ispresented to the opposite side of the grinding-wheel from that employedto grind the sharpened end of its predecessor, and so the hard work isthrown alternately to opposite sides of the grindingwheel and the wearis thereby equalized. As the work-holding wheel revolves an attendantplaces knives in proper position to be held by the clamps, which is aneasy operation, for the reason that the placing act is not difficult andseveral knives may be placed at one time, and so the operation continuesindefinitely.

The vertical positions of the wheels is of utility in feeding, as itpermits the knives to be simply laid in place. It is of utility indischarging, as it enables the knives to simply fall out of cont-actwith the clamps, and in addition to this it is of utility in permittingthe use of water or of water and sand between the grinding-wheel and theknives. The water or water and sand is poured downward between thewheels, and it or they cannot escape except by passing between theformof the articles necessitate, and the op oration is performed asdescribed.

By substituting a polishing-wheel or a bu ifing-wheel for thegrinding-wheel 1 the operation of polishing or of buifing may besatisfactorily performed in substantially-the man ner that the grindingoperation is eifected.

Having thus described the embodiment of my idea and explained theoperation thereof, I now claim as new and desire to secure by LettersPatent 1. In a machine for grinding articles having convex surfaces, thecombination of a vertically-rotatin g wheel for grinding, or the like, avertically-rotating work-holding wheel having an external circumferencecorresponding in convexity with the articles to be treated, and a set ofswinging clamps pivotally connected with the periphery of thework-holdin g wheel.

formed, stationary gnideway for holding the 30 clampsclosed against thearticles to be ground during a portion of the rotation of the wheel. 3.In a machine for grinding, or otherwise I treating, knife-blades, arotating work-holder wheel having two sets of clamps arranged 35staggered fashion on opposite sides of its periphery.

4. In a machine for grinding, or otherwise treating, knife-blades, thecombination of a wheel for grinding, or the like, a rotating '40work-holder Wheel having a set of transverse recesses in the centralpart of its periphery and two sets of clamps arranged staggered fashionon opposite sides of the central portion, rollers journaled in theswinging ends 45 of the clamps, arc-formed, stationary guide- Ways forengaging the rollers and holding the clamps closed against theknife-handles, and spring-sustained plates forming part of thebearing-surfaces of the guideways and nor- 5o mally extending beyond thesame, substan-

